Anyone Else But You
by CaptainOats2TheRescue
Summary: She wants a change, he wants his shift to end.
1. Today, her life changed forever

So here's another new story from me. Hopefully it doesn't fall into the category of "New Story I start but never get around to updating for 2 years." Fingers Crossed on this one folks.

_Today, her life was going to change forever__…_

She sat by herself in Starbucks Café, trying to recall the last time she skipped school. It must've been grade 6 or 7, in fact she remembered the reason why. She had a crush on this boy, Paul Gomez, so she begged to her father to take her out and buy her a new outfit. But not just any outfit, the one outfit that would get her the attention she craved from Paul. Once this happened, well naturally they would fall in love and would live happily ever after. Summer never really thought outside of the box when she was younger. So anyways, the outfit that would achieve this large goal for her was a limited addition item from her favourite retailer at the time, La Senza. It was a must have for all teenage girls, and she got it. However, on the day she decided to wear it to school, she discovered her best friend Marissa Cooper was wearing it as well at that day. Now, this may not seem like a big issue, however for Summer and the female residents inside the Newport Beach bubble: it was a crisis lockdown. Its awful enough owning the same clothes as another girl in this community, let alone wearing it at the same time. Of course, Summer was the one to retreat home. But instead of merely changing outfits and heading back, she couldn't do it. She cried to her father about her huge crisis, and being the loving, caring father that he was, offered to take her back out and buy something else.

Now here she was, sipping on a coffee reading her new Nora Roberts novel, occasionally breaking from her read to survey the customers as they strolled in and out, making light conversation with one another. Grade Six- Summer Roberts never saw herself ending up like this, why almost like a normal human being. However, living in Orange County prevented her from ever fully achieving this feat: it was simply a way of life which she understood and was forced to try to live by. Not only was this her first skipped day of school since that faithful day in elementary school, it was also her friend Chris' birthday. She felt awful not being at school today, he probably was pissed. She really wasn't quite sure what exactly their relationship was anymore: were they friends? More than friends? It was all a blur now. He had feelings for her, that much as obvious. He had reached out to her this past weekend and confessed his true feelings, in a very romantic way too with a well-orchestrated speech filled with romantic intrigue. It was almost as if she had lived her very own cute, teenage couple love scene only reserved for television.

However, if this were the case why was she sitting at a Starbucks on a Monday, as well why did she feel scared? She had been friends with Chris forever, and since his declaration 2 days ago she had been feeling like everything was being fast tracked between them, this after living about 5 years in content rhythm.

_Damn it_

Mondays were her favourite too, oddly enough. Truth be told, school was one of her favourite times of the week; largely due to the fact that her social life outside of school was almost nonexistent, so it was nice to get back and see everyone again. She was in no way a geek or an outsider at school, in fact she had plenty of friends. She was just more reserved about herself and didn't throw herself away at everything like many of the girls in her school did.

She rose from her seat, and sipped away on the last of her coffee and tossed it away. She made her way out the front door and was greeted by a distinguished sunlight which could only be provided by California at this time of year. California during fall was simply beautiful, she loved it. The shopping district was relatively calm for a Monday, only a few people dotted the street as she looked around. She smiled and found her shades in her purse, placing them over her eyes then returning her gaze across the street to the outlet mall.

_Oh it couldn__'t hurt, at least its for old time's sake…also, on daddy's credit card._

* * *

She could definitely see why the girls her age viewed this as, "the life". Endless shopping, and with the added bonus of it being on another person's dollar. What's not to love? Maybe it was Summer who had had it wrong all this time. She checked her phone, realizing that school was just ending. Her first skipped day in years was officially over, and it was a success. She enjoyed herself, it was nice to take a day away from everything and just be with yourself. Especially with all the drama she left behind at school, it was definitely drama that could be left for another day. As she exited the side doors for the outlet mall, she looked across at the same spot outside of Starbucks where she had been standing earlier, and saw how much more crowded everything now was. Her day wasn't quite over, she needed to buy Chris a present. She figured she would make him a card just like she had always done for the past 7 years of their friendship, however a homemade gift like she used to was no longer acceptable like it used to be. She couldn't find anything suitable for him in the outlet mall, not the present she wanted to give him. She was planning on giving him a couple CD's of his favourite artists', as well as a DVD Concert of the Coachella festival. Maybe then he would stop whining about finally watching it…

She crossed the street to the Starbucks and began making her way towards the car park a block away. She glanced in some of the shops along the way, she usually paid no attention to these as they were generally smaller spaced compared to the superior outlet mall stores and were independently owned: she had always been a sucker for high-end fashion. She came across a shop and stopped in front of him, and peered in from the window. There was nobody in there except for a lone boy sitting at the register typing away on the computer. She looked around and saw it was a music store, with CD's, instruments and books accompanying the space. She checked the store sign and it read "Listen Up", cleverly designed in graffiti letters with an arrow pointing upward. She sighed to herself, and opened the doors.

The shop certainly was nothing to look at. In typical underground music store fashion, there was graffiti artwork plastered over most of the walls, of course the majority of it being illegible. The shelves were painted black to offset the previously red walls, now covered in scribble thanks to graffiti writers. The small counter at the front which served as the cashier was big enough for only 1 person, but judging by the muscular build of the boy working behind it, you could probably fit 5 of him in there.

"I'm sorry we don't carry any Britney Spears CD's. Try HMV across the street." his voice startled her and she looked over at him from the doorway. The door hadn't even closed behind her yet, he had already returned his gaze to the computer monitor. Awkwardness filled the shop, she didn't know whether to just walk out right there or what. However, that wasn't Summer Roberts…at all.

"What makes you think I'm into Britney Spears." he looked her over from head to toe then returned to his computer screen. Summer was wearing her old junior high uniform skirt with a very tight, white t-shirt. She had always considered this her "off-day look"

"I wasn't aware there was a dress code to shop here."

"Oh but there isn't, I'm just sayin' that you must be looking for the "Teen Jukebox Sensational Pop Hits" store. They should still be open don't you think? It's only quarter after." the boy smiled to himself and picked up a comic book on his desk and began flipping through it. Summer never felt this ignored in her entire life. A rage blackout seemed likely on the horizon, as she approached the front desk.

"Do you want to make a sale or not? Funny guy." he sighed and looked up from his comic book at her, sensing that she wasn't going away anytime soon. She was getting frustrated and held her hands at her hips in an attempt to look intimidating. The boy smile and removed his reading glasses, and set his comic book down.

"How can I help you?" he deadpanned and stretched back in his chair, yawning in the process. He clearly wasn't in the mood to deal with her at all.

"Again."

"What?" he asked incredulously.

"Ask me again." she repeated sternly. "This time, more politely and make yourself more presentable." she made a disgusted gesture at the sweat which was seeping through the boy's hair. When he didn't get the reference, she reached over the counter and grabbed a Kleenex from the dispenser on his desk and threw it on his head. He remained motionless, with a Kleenex on his head.

"I don't want to play house right now Barbie." he shooed the Kleenex off his head, but did swat away at the sweat in his hair. " And as you can see you're interfering with my inventory right now, which is what I was doing before you stumbled into my little shop."

"Well…" Summer looked around the shop and noticed all of the big cardboard boxes which were scattered at random places near the shelves. "This little deadbeat shop of yours is a 9:00 to 5:00 like the other shops on this strip, correct?" he looked puzzled, but nodded his head reassuringly. "And does this shop go by Pacific or Eastern Standard Time?"

"Should I even answer that?" Summer just stared at him coldly and waited her answer. For the first time in their encounter, the boy looked intimidated by her. Summer smiled to herself: bullying and intimidation were the way she operated and she worked them to perfection. "Pacific." the boy answered.

"Great!" she began fishing through her purse and pulled out her cell phone. "According to my phone, it's only 3:16 pm Pacific Time."

"What's your point?"

"Do your damn inventory when you're closed. I want to shop now." He looked down at the counter and smirked, but recomposed himself and met Summer's gaze once again. Summer didn't find any of it funny.

"Are you _actually _going to buy something, princess? Or do you plan on arguing with me until close?"

"You have got to be the rudest boy I have ever met." the door swung open and another customer entered the shop, obviously a regular as they went to a particular section in the back and started rummaging through the selection. The boy acknowledged the man with a nod of the head then returned his attention to Summer. "I want to speak to your boss. Your ass deserves to get fired." the boy laughed, this time openly in front of Summer and shook his head incredulously.

"You do that, princess." he wiped fake tears away, then took off for the back of the shop as the man who previously entered had signalled for him. Summer remained at the counter, frustrated and to be brief: pissed. This guy was a complete ass. The boy returned to the front counter along with the customer, who had bumped Summer out of the way so he could make his purchase. Seth worked away behind the desk, ringing in the purchase and scanning the security lock off and what not. Meanwhile, the other customer was creepily eying Summer up like she was a delicious dessert and he was a fasting, hungry man. He winked at her and she gagged. His teeth were stained a dark yellow glow, and that was about all she would get into in regards to his appearance.

"Thanks again Mitch, have a good one." the boy handed a small plastic bag to the man and shook his hand. Mitch eyed Summer up one more time, grinned and made his way out the door. The door closed, leaving them alone once again. "Well then," the boy spoke up to break the silence, "can I help you with something and get you on your way?"

"Wow, that was almost polite of you." she snickered and the boy just remained quiet. He sure was a tough one to crack, that's for sure. "Trying to get rid of me huh?"

"Since the minute you walked in." Summer couldn't help but laugh.

"Fine then, but I do need help with these." she scrolled through her phone for Chris' birthday list she made and then handed the phone over to him. He looked at it and read the list, and nodded.

"Ah, I should have known you wouldn't be in here shopping for yourself Barbie. It's for someone else, makes perfect sense now." he laughed and looked at the music racks.

"Is there a customer option to receive service from someone who's not a dick?" the boy laughed, causing Summer to as well.

"I'll show you where they are." he got up from his seat and took off for the music racks. Summer remained motionless for a moment until she realized she was supposed to follow him. "So, who's this for? Your boyfriend Ken?" the boy made his first attempt at light conversation that didn't involve a jab at her. Scratch that, she just caught on to the Barbie and Ken reference.

"What's it to you? Jealous?" she teased.

"Not in the slightest." that brutal honesty of his sure did sting quite a bit. "Well here's the Bloc Party album, and The Shins album is just down there by your, well, shin." he handed her a CD and pointed to another rack. "Not sure if we have the Coachella DVD from this year, but we probably have last years."

"Oh, that's fine. I'm sure he'll love it." the boy smiled and snuck away to retrieve the Coachella DVD. Summer hovered over to the front desk and waited for him there. He returned to the front desk, DVD in hand. They remained quiet as the boy scanned the items and rang them into the register. Summer shifted uncomfortably back and forth between her feet. Anytime relationship status' were brought up in conversations she always got an intense awkward feeling, however the boy on the other hand seemed unaffected. "Don't you have like a name tag or something?" he looked up from the register and smirked at her, causing her to scramble. "Well I mean, what kind of second rate business is this? Can't afford name tags?"

"Why? You want to pin a name to this handsome face?" he smirked again. Was he actually flirting? Or was he still being cruel? "And turns out, we can't afford name tags here Barbie." he returned his attention to the register and finished the purchase. He told her the amount and she paid it, a simple transaction between two very diverse individuals. He handed her change back to her and gave her the bag.

"By the way, I only asked for the name tags so I could get a name off you and report you to your boss." the boy smirked and broke into laughter, this time it seemed light hearted instead of filled with anger. Summer lingered at the desk, something about this boy intrigued her.

"I'm Seth." he declared simply and effectively. He lounged back in his chair and grabbed his comic book. Several seconds of silence passed and Summer smacked the book down. "Jesus, this is a limited addition Avengers copy woman." he picked the comic up.

"Aren't you going to ask for my name?"

"Assuming that I actually care to know your name for just a second…" she lowered her glare at him which made him twitch. "What makes you think I didn't already catch your name on your littler glittery phone emblem earlier?" she realized this and got red. Seth laughed once again and returned to his book, but realizing she _still_ wasn't going to go away, he set it down once more. "Boy, you're a persistent one aren't you?"

"You're an asshole, aren't you?" he laughed again and shrugged his shoulders.

"You're entitled to your opinion…" the two made serious eye contact briefly, only for a few seconds. The awkwardness Summer had been feeling vanished as she stared into his eyes, and she could sense that he was settling in to her presence as he no longer seemed as distant as he did when she first entered the store. Seth was the first to break away from the staring, as he settled himself into the chair and scooted forward to the counter, leaning across the counter almost so he could whisper in her ear. "Well, _Summer_…" he gave extra emphasis and she rolled her eyes. "Is there _anything_ else I can help you with today?"

"Look at that, that wasn't so hard was it?" Seth nodded and laughed. "And no there isn't, thanks for your help."

"You got it." he fell back onto his chair and grabbed his book, this time learning a lesson and waiting for Summer to finally be gone before he began reading. She picked up her bags from the floor and turned and walked toward the door. She pushed it open so she was partly out the door, and poked her head back in the store.

"You're still an asshole though."

"I'm okay with that." he shot her a goofy grin and shooed her away with his hand from his seat, causing her to roll her eyes. She finally left the store and continued on down to the end of the walkway, coming up to her vehicle at the car park. She couldn't wipe the smile off her face. It was definitely due to her excitement over Chris' reaction to the gift she got him. He was going to love it, and she would show him tonight.

_Yeah, that was definitely it__…_


	2. She no longer could see right from wrong

_She No Longer Could See Right from Wrong__…_

Summer hated awkwardness. She absolutely could not stand it, in fact. She considered herself to be a confident women, capable of handling any situation thrown at her. But the one thrown at her currently had caught her off guard.

Her relationship with Chris was as cloudy as ever since the previous weekend when he confessed his true feelings for her, and that he wanted to be with her. She had spent the rest of the weekend recalling her friendship with him, trying to see if there were ever any obvious signs of his true feelings. And when she did remember some, it annoyed her that she could not see it back then and was blind to it all of this time. Turns out, these feelings he had been nurturing for her had been 5 years in the making.

He had told her that he just couldn't admit them earlier because he feared their friendship would be ruined, as well the fact she'd been in 2 serious relationships in that span. However, now he clearly had no problem "ruining their friendship", in fact he was at the point of basically offering her an ultimatum. He had said he wouldn't be able to keep seeing her if she turned him down. Truth was, she never really looked at him as anything more than just a friend. But with everything that was now at stake, she owed it to him to at least see if there really was something between the two of them that she couldn't see before.

This was last weekend, and the week had been nothing but awkwardness. They continued to hangout and banter like they usual did, but the topic of his affection never arose. And when it looked like it was going to, Summer steered the conversation onto something else. However, she figured it would all be handled tomorrow at his birthday gathering. Technically it wasn't large enough to be called a party by Orange County standards, only a few friends and some of his family would be there, so definitely not a party familiar with the standards of endless alcohol/clothing optional.

The final bell buzzed throughout the school, accompanied by doors flying open with jubilant students roaring towards freedom. Summer collected her books and met up with her friend Brooke outside the science office, just like always. Their "spot" at first was picked out during freshman year, with the idea of rushing out of class early and finding a spot outside the trophy display to flaunt themselves off to the guys. From their freshman year flirtations, it turned into a daily thing. Brooke Weston and Marissa Cooper had been her best friends for as long as she could remember, she would always be able to confide in them whenever she needed someone. Tonight would be another one of those nights, as she would be dissecting her current dilemma from every possible angle at their little girl's night out they had planned.

"Drop me off at the Starbucks down on Mason? I'm dying of thirst here." Summer cranked the A/C on and began to settle into her passenger seat. Brooke hopped into the drivers' seat after finishing her conversation with a guy Summer couldn't recognize, nor would she bother as it would just end up being a new guy next time. Brooke stared at Summer blankly, clearly not following on what was said, so she repeated herself.

"Why so out of the way? Let's go to the one near the Diner, doesn't hurt that Paul Frank's having a sale on those super cute sweaters across the street either." she smiled and shot her a wink before pulling out of the parking lot only to get caught in the logjam of cars fighting to get out.

"Umm well actually that one is close to the store where I bought Chris' present," the cars slowly began to disperse out onto the road. "I was talking to Marissa and she said he's probably already got it."

"Going on a Marissa Cooper hunch huh? You know how well those usually turn out, Sum." Summer laughed and shook her head. Brooke was dead serious. She had told Summer she would never forgive Marissa for convincing her to ask Derek Mitchell out in junior year on the basis that Marissa had "heard some things" and thought that he liked her. Basically, it didn't turn out in Brooke's favour as Derek was now in the midst of a 2 year relationship with another girl.

"I just can't be too sure, you know? I really want him to like it."

"Oh Sum, I'm sure he will like whatever you give him. And he will appreciate the presents as well." She winked at her again and burst into a fit of laughter, and began to do her flirtatious dance that she always does whenever there's a sexual joke. It was annoying, but she couldn't help but laugh. A car of guys beside them started looking at their car, hollering and howling.

"Just take me to Mason street." Summer slouched deep in her seat.

* * *

Summer convinced Brooke to give her some time, an argument which didn't take much time as Brooke sped off toward the Paul Frank sale that awaited her. Summer remained on the sidewalk and watched the car turn the corner, then proceeded along the strip toward the outlet malls. She glanced into each shop she passed, occasionally stopping at a few, until she saw the Listen Up graffiti sign appear from behind a flurry of other signs. She had to weave her way through the crowded walkway, it was a Friday after all, and reached the door of the shop and quickly escaping inside.

Her eyes adjusted to the room and she looked at the register where the same boy from last Monday, Seth, was seated. She wasn't disappointed at seeing him again, in fact a smirk had crept up onto her face just at the sight of him. He looked up at the sound of the bells overtop of the door sounding off and was now staring back at her with a confused look on his face; he set down the blue binder he had been reading and folded his arms across his chest. She remained standing just in front of the door, shifting her gaze to the environment to see if anything had changed since her last visit. She locked her eyes back on the boy, but he had already begun to read his binder again.

"This has got to be the most cliché store entrance I've ever seen." she circled around on the doormat and scoffed, before finally making her way to the counter. Seth sighed and set his binder down.

"How so?"

"Well, I mean look at it," she turned back and looked at the door. "The cheesy welcome mat, the unoriginal bells.."

"Is it so wrong to welcome people in?"

"You seem like the indie-type. You know, listen to obscure music, brag that you were along for their ride to stardom, and refuse to conform to what society views as normal." she turned back to face him and he crossed his arms once again, this time was smiling wide at her.

"You puzzle me."

"An unsolvable one, at that." she couldn't help but begin to flirt. It was in her nature, she just had that vibe to her around all guys. It didn't help that he was easy on the eyes either. He didn't look drastically different from the last time she had seen him, and why did she really expect him to? He had a light stubble growing on his face, with a white band t-shirt of whom she had never heard of, topped off with some khakis.

"Hey, who's looking to solve?" he raised his hands in protest but quickly set them down on the counter. "What can I help you with, Barbie?" He really was terrible with customers, or maybe it was just with her. Did she piss this boy off that much? It annoyed her, but if that was the way he wanted it to be then fine, she could play it that way too.

"I'm returning this." she reached into her purse and pulled out the Bloc Party album she had bought from him before, and tossed it on the counter. "It's crap." the boy laughed and shook his head, he was already inspecting the CD for no particular reason other than that it probably provided him a brief escape from her.

"If I remember correctly, this was supposed to be for a boyfriend. So, who are you to say if it's 'crap' or not?" he set the case down and looked at her for an answer. He had very warm and dreamy eyes, much like Chris did. They reminded her of Chris' eyes, qualities she never recognized in Chris until now. That scared her.

"Fine." she exclaimed loudly. It sure was easy to get pissed off at this kid. Yet silence fell over the two, and Summer began to shuffle back and forth in front of the counter. She could tell that the boy sensed her mood change, he was now seated more upright in his chair and was leaning closer to the counter. "Well…I guess I'm really just scared. I don't know if he'd like it." Seth relaxed back in his chair, threw his hands behind his head, and laughed.

"You've got to be kidding me." he looked over at the girl and she remained silent. "You must really like this guy, huh?" she shot her head up and stared at him. She didn't know how to respond to that. "Jeez, you're looking at me like I said something wrong. It's okay to like someone, Barbie."

"That's the thing, I don't know what to make of everything that's going on. I've never been in a situation like this, drama like this." Summer had officially cracked, and to some random boy working at an used vinyl/CD store. She appeared before him quiet and shy, a stark contrast to the demanding and aggressive version she usually displayed.

"Aww, Barbie…I'm sure you will make the tough decision between the BMW or the Corvette. Just relax honey, these things take time." Seth smiled and got up from the chair. He was starting to organize papers on the desk, lifting a stack of flyers and a stapler to the counter, still grinning to himself. "And as for your boy trouble…don't know, don't care." Summer just shook her head and rolled her eyes. She truly found this kid humorous, and at the same time, a very worthy opponent. There wasn't anyone she couldn't crack, and this one would just take a little extra work.

"What makes you think I'm rich?" the boy stopped his shuffling and took a moment, eyed her from head to toe, then returned to work. She took this moment to view herself, realizing the Gucci may have tipped him off. "You must think you're sooo funny, don't you?"

"If I wasn't doing this, I'd be on a comedy tour somewhere in Texas." he moved from behind the counter and waved for her to follow. "I'll give you a Bloc Party album return, pick a new one out." he had led her to the music shelf, and was about to return to the register when she pulled him back by the shoulder. His eyes grew wide.

"It's fine, I'll just stick with what I've got."

"Was the separation of my shoulder necessary?" he feigned an injury and rubbed at his shoulder.

"Aren't you going to give me your story?"

"What do you mean, 'my story'?" he scratched his jaw and smiled at her. Summer's face got red and she distracted herself away from him and gazed at the Cds.

"Well, I had my little rant about the supposed BMW/Corvette mix-up, plus the boy drama. Don't you have some boy drama of your own?" she winked at him and laughed.

"Funny. And actually, I'm supposed to be working right now so there's not really any time to divulge my 'story' to you lady." he turned away from her and retreated to the register, smiling to himself as he could already sense her in hot pursuit of him. Sure enough, he situated himself back in his seat and she was already standing back in front of him at the counter.

"When are you free?"

"That's a bit up front, don't you think?" if he didn't know any better, it sounded like she was asking him out. "But if you must know, never." he looked up at her and she appeared dejected, but smiled at him anyways. "At least not today, cause you see today is Friday, and I have plans. And so should you, a young girl like you…there must be some fancy cocktail party for you to attend around here." the door opened and a woman walked in. Seth greeted her and Summer remained in front of him, trying to figure him out. He started light chatter with the woman from his seat at the register until the woman retreated to the far corner of the store.

"Like you're older than me? Please, you act like a child."

"Maturity level is one thing. Age is another." he winked at her and leaned back in his chair.

"Well, how old are you then?" Summer felt completely out of her element. It definitely seemed like she was hitting on this guy. What with the inadvertent date proposal and now with her pressing him for details about his life. Maybe she just felt like this because she knew she very well could be in a relationship by the end of the weekend, so she wanted to get her flirtatiousness out of her while she had the chance.

"Wouldn't you like to know." he grinned at her and she turned away from him, hiding her flush red cheeks. "Maybe I'll tell you, but that's a story for another time. Liz is taking over. Is there anything else I can help you with before I take off?" the boy was clearly ready to leave, he rose from his seat and stared at her waiting for an answer. The woman who entered earlier, Liz, made her way over to them at the counter and stood awkwardly near Seth.

"Nope…I guess that's it."

"Perfect." he turned his attention to Liz and informed her on the current state of the shop. After a moment of chatter, he took off for the far corner of the shop to the staff room. Summer sighed heavily, grabbed her CD and backed away from the counter, slowly making her way toward the door and out into the evening. She lingered near the store, pondering about where Brooke was and what to do about Chris. It had only been on her mind all week, and it was beginning to bug her. Certainly, tonight's girl's night would give her a good chance to get some second opinions and vent to the girls. She made her way slowly around the corner curb back in the direction of the Starbucks Brooke had dropped her off at. Sure enough, there she saw Brooke parked at the side waving frantically at her and pointing to her cell phone. Summer smiled and reached into her purse, seeing a dozen missed calls and texts. She was sure to hear all about that on the car ride home.

"There is no escape!" she had reached the passenger side and heard the voice. She turned and saw Seth, shaking his head and staring upward with his hands held out in surrender. Summer opened the door and laughed, Brooke was caught off guard from her complaining and tried to poke her head out the door to see what was holding Summer up.

"Stalking me?" she shut the door and could hear Brooke yelling, but ignored it. Seth walked over to her from his vehicle, a few rows away, and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"It really can never be just as it seems with you, can it? The shop can't afford it's own parking so we just use the Starbucks. It's convenient and cost-efficient." Summer giggled, but nodded. It really did make sense. "Listen, I meant to say this earlier…don't fret about the gift, Ken should love it. I mean, it's Bloc Party." Summer rolled her eyes as he continued. "But, in the off chance that he doesn't, which I know is what you're scared of…tell him he can return it here free of charge and tell you what, I'll even give him another free store credit."

"You have the authority to do that?"

" 'Course I do. Plus, that's how confident I am in the lovely sounds of Bloc Party. They won't let me down." she giggled again, checking back at Brooke's car, she had the passenger side window open and was practically leaning all of the way outside it, grinning like an idiot and waving. "I see you've got to go so I won't keep you, take it easy Barbie." he waved shyly and turned back towards his car. Summer retreated to Brooke's car, smiling to herself. She entered the car and was silent, still smiling. She could tell Brooke was staring at the back of her head, waiting for an explanation of some sort, of course with that damned grin of hers.

"Well…." she shifted into gear and pulled away, feeling the need to wave to Seth as his vehicle was waiting it's turn in the right turn lane. "What the hell was that?"

"Just get us to Marissa's." Brooke continued firing questions at her, paying less and less attention to the road by the minute. Summer sank in her chair and stared out the window. She gazed out at the beautiful night about to arise, the weather was calm and the sun was beginning to set on the town. It was nice to forget everything and just take in the night as it was, something she used to do all the time when she was younger, not so much anymore. Was she really that lost in everything that she was reverting to the past for some salvation. They drove along, Brooke had finally stopped hawking her for answers and again focused on the road. Summer shifted in her seat only once, she turned the radio up just low enough for her to hear from the passenger speakers. The song was unrecognizable but the guitar melody was lovely. She wished she could stay lost in it, instead of being lost in uncertainty.


	3. However, she was completely fine with it

Disclaimer: I don't own the OC

_However, she was completely fine with it_

"Well?" a voice from the driver's seat questioned, the passenger door swung open and quickly closed with a commanding slam. Summer's two best friends Brooke and Marissa remained in silence as they watched their friend enter the car and waited for an answer. Summer blankly stared at them, whilst trying to shoo Brooke into getting the vehicle in motion.

Today was Saturday, and the girl's promised Summer they would pick her up for their tanning session at Brooke's beach house. Yes, in the process, Summer was leaving Chris' birthday gathering, but it had already dwindled down to just his family remaining.

She rubbed her forehead and looked down, waiting for the vehicle to move. The car remained silent, prompting Summer to look up and see what the hold up was. She found Brooke smiling like she was staring at a puppy dog, holding her hand over her heart. Marissa had begun "ooh"ing and laughing from the back seat. Both girls frantically pointed toward the house.

It was there that Summer found Chris, with a huge smile on his face and waving. Summer awkwardly returned his smile and offered a weak hand in air. The boy's smile grew impossibly bigger and he shot her a wink.

"Jesus, you must've given him the greatest birthday present ever."

"Oh god, just go." Summer said under breath but maintained her smile. The car finally sped away, heading for the downtown district. The silence loomed over the vehicle once again, but only until they arrived to the first stop sign.

"Oh. My. God. That was soo cute!" Marissa gushed from the back seat, other than her voice, the only noise from the backseat had been the sound of her phone buzzing off every 5 seconds. Summer told her to shut up and focused her gaze outward at the passing houses. "Easily Harbor's new IT couple, I knew it."

"So, you two are an item huh?" Brooke kept her excitement in check and began to prod for more answers.

"I didn't know what to say. There was so much going through my head, and then he had to go and say, 'if you don't feel the same way, I won't be able to see you anymore after today.' God." Summer gently knocked her head against the window and closed her eyes. She was having serious problems seeing herself with Chris romantically. They had gone all this time, almost 5 years of friendship and the only time she had ever tried to look at him in that way was before she had even knew his name. Ever since, she had been perfectly fine keeping him as a boy friend. The car grew silent

"Being with Chris is better than no Chris at all, huh?" Marissa offered from the backseat. She finally set her phone down and concentrated on the conversation. Summer nodded in agreement and continued staring out the window. "Well, Sum, maybe this can be a good thing. Maybe you will discover deep feelings for him that you never knew you had."

"Or she'll find him unattractive like before and their friendship will be ruined." Marissa smacked Brooke over the head and the girls shared a laugh. Summer couldn't help but smile, but remained silent.

"Yeah, you might be right." she turned to the girls and smiled. It wasn't like she was dating some complete loser, deadbeat guy. She could see Chris' attractiveness, he was appealing, as well, they were friends. Their history could very easily bring them closer than ever.

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Sunday's always are your "coast" type of days, at least for Summer. She never really accomplished anything, or did anything special. They usually were spent just lounging around the house, preparing for the week of school ahead.

However, this Sunday was different. Summer asked the girls if she could bring Chris along for their shopping trip downtown. As expected, she was bombarded with all of the "you two can't do anything without each other"s and what not, but they obliged. Their shopping trips had picked up at the start of this month in preparation for their senior prom. Ever since, they had made sure they got out every Sunday to go look, mostly at the same stores thousands of times. The trips were usually just the three of them, however sometimes Brooke would tag along a TJ, Jason, Mark, whomever she had met the previous day at an infamous Holly Fisher beach party. This would be the first time Summer brought her boyfriend.

_Boyfriend? That's just soooo weird!_

"_Hey you two!" Brooke squealed from the passenger seat, Marissa was checking herself out in the rear-view mirror. Marissa managed to annoy her father into letting her borrow the Escalade for the trip, which isn't really a huge feat when you consider the fact that her father basically runs Newport Beach. Anything for Mayor Cooper's daughter._

_Summer and Chris piled into the backseat, and then they were off. Chris hadn't changed at all, he easily made the transition from friends to dating. He cracked his usual jokes during the car ride, which of course Summer laughed like she always did. It was when he reached his arm around her waist that she froze, and she knew that he could tell. His arm instantly swung back to his side and he stopped talking. Summer looked at him and offered an apologetic smile. _

"_Sorry, just have to get used to it…this" she pointed between the two of them and he nodded understandably. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, while Chris slid his arm behind the seat and relaxed._

"_I'm not sure, but I think the very backseats can recline into a bed." Brooke burst into laughter, and Chris too. Summer kept her eyes closed, simply offering yet another "Shut up Marissa"._

_1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111_

"_We walk past these damn stores every time, when do we ever stop in them?" Brooke complained, and with good reason. She found her entire outfit and was left lugging around countless bags and boxes, even with Marissa and Chris helping with some bags. They walked past the Starbucks and Brooke pleaded with Marissa to stop and let her take a rest. The group paused by the door, and stepped out of the way of the passing people._

"_That's because I'm not looking for a dress. I have to go to this shop and get my money back for one of the presents I got Chris." Chris' eyes shot up and he looked at her._

"_Where is it? I want to see this place. That Coachella DVD you got me was amazing, I couldn't find it anywhere."_

"_It's still pretty far down the strip. And you can't come with me anyways, wouldn't want you finding out any details about what I paid for your presents!" Summer lied and smiled "I'll be right back." the girls nodded and headed inside the Starbucks. Chris remained outside and watched Summer._

"_Are you okay? You haven't seemed okay ever since…"_

"_Yes! I'm fine." she smiled at him. " I just have to go to this shop and get this sorted out." she lied once again. Chris wasn't convinced, nor did he look it, she could see this. He nodded his head and turned to follow the girls into the shop. Summer stopped him and grabbed his hand. "Hey, I'm fine with this. Trust me." she smiled at him and stroked his hand. He shot her a small smile, which caused her to roll her eyes until he grinned, which he always did. It was their thing._

_It wasn't long before Summer was treading off down the strip in the direction of the Listen Up music store. She approached the glass door and peered inside. It was empty, and the same skinny boy was sitting behind the incredibly small register table, feet up, eyes closed. She laughed and entered the shop._

"_How is this place in business? Am I the only one that even shops here?" the door bells rang and the boy's feet hurriedly rushed off the table and he blinked his eyes to wake himself. When he saw the customer, his hesitation halted._

"_Oh, it's you."_

"_Let me rephrase that: how do you have a job?" she approached the counter and leaned against it. The boy had a store golf shirt on, with khaki pants, along with some serious bed head._

"_Funny." he yawned and looked around the store. Summer assumed to check and see if anything had been stolen during his sleep. "Can I help you?"_

_Summer was trying to regain the bantering she shared with him the last time she was in the store, but the boy seemed determined to get rid of her. Okay, he always seemed determined to get rid of her, but this time he had purpose._

"_Jeez, is there someone else I can speak to? Someone who isn't so rude."_

"_Sorry sweetheart, I'm officially the only employee in this joint as of today. Deal with it." he crossed his arms and looked at the girl._

"_Oh my, so I should be expecting a 'For Sale' sign covering the store sign in the coming days huh?" the boy finally showed emotion and laughed. He shook his head and smiled, which made Summer laugh as well._

"_You're too much." Summer just shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "However, I have some serious work to finish here, so what can I help you with this time Barbie?"_

"_Oh clearly, you sure looked deep into things when I got here." she rolled her eyes, the boy laughed again. "Why are you the only one working?"_

"_Well, I had to fire Liz this morning. I think you remember her." Summer recalled her last visit and pictured the woman's appearance. "That inventory I procrastinated on, I finally got around to that and my other monthly chores…and well let's say I found some losses of money and stock"_

"_How do you know it was her? That's a pretty big accusation to just throw around."_

"_She was the only other employee here. And it obviously wasn't me, why steal from your own place, you know? He scratched the stubble on his chin and glanced at the time on the computer._

"_You've got to be kidding me. This is your place?"_

"_You are just getting that now?" Summer gasped and began to laugh_

"_Wow, no it just all makes sense now." Summer looked around at the racks to her side, then returned her eyes to Seth. "Even more reason why this place will be up for sale next week." she muttered, causing Seth to laugh once again. Every time he would laugh, she couldn't help but smile. Must have been because he was so hard to crack. Must have been because he barely tolerated her in the first place that any positive emotion she could spark from the boy was a victory._

"_So, are you going to tell me why you're here? Or just solely to insult my shop?"_

"_Oh, that's one of the main reasons, trust me. I just get a kick out of how awful this place is. "she grinned but her grin quickly disappeared. She awkwardly shifted on her feet and Seth's gaze followed her, something was clearly on her mind. "I just wanted to talk to somebody. Just someone fresh."_

"_Hmm, well if you're looking for fresh, I just so happen to be as fresh as they come." Seth lamely popped his collar on his shirt and "brushed his shoulders off". Summer broke into hysterics. "However, again, I'm working so you'll just have to…" he stopped talking and watched as Summer walked over toward the entrance and flipped the open sign so it read closed, and returned to the register. "Hey! You can't just do that!" he was actually angry, and she seemed hardly phased._

"_Oh relax, you don't get customers anyways."_

"_Not now I won't" she waited for him to leave the register and flip the sign back, but he never did. He just remained sitting quietly at the counter, staring at her. She couldn't help but smile inside._

" _Now you can tell me your story. I told you some of mine." Seth sighed and checked the time on his computer once again. Summer walked around the small counter and turned the monitor off. He yelled in his very weak intimidating voice yet again but Summer just seated herself in the vacant spare seat in the corner nearest him and wheeled herself in closer. He never turned the monitor back on, instead turned and faced her. "Well?"_

"_I don't really know what to say." he scratched at his face once again and shifted uncomfortably in his seat._

"_Fine, I'll get it started. We'll just go back and forth. It will be fun!" Seth rolled his eyes but Summer continued. "Well, for starters, I'm Summer Jade Roberts." she looked at Seth._

"_Seth Cohen." he mumbled._

"_Good boy! I'm 18 years old, a senior at Harbor High School, not employed…"_

" _Uhh 20 years old, graduated from Lady Teresa High back in Brooklyn…" Summer nodded her head, fascinated with it all._

"_You're 20 huh? Wow, you look like…10" he rolled his eyes. "As of yesterday, I have a boyfriend…"she broke off and grew quiet._

"_Don't sound too sure now do you?" he crossed his arms and smiled, but stopped when he realized she wasn't continuing the banter._

"_I don't know what's going on anymore. I just want everything to slow down." the conversation took a big turn. They remained silent, Seth was unsure of what to say or do. Did he awkwardly hug her? Pat her on the shoulder? Instead, he opted to tap her knee, causing him to laugh at himself. "Anyways," Summer interrupted, "so you're 20 and what? In school at all?"_

"_It's a long story. But it ends with me being here running my own shop and I've never been happier."_

"_Any girlfriends?" Summer poked him in the ribs and he shifted uncomfortably yet again. She pulled her hand back fast and her chair scooted away the slightest bit._

"_Love is a joke." he answered. That seemed to trigger his emotions. He turned his monitor back on and rose from his chair. "This has been lovely Summer, but I really can't just stay closed right now. This is prime hours for a Sunday evening. You know?" he pleaded with her, and she nodded. She rose from her chair and he walked her to the door. She opened the door but his voiced stopped her._

"_Actually, this was pretty nice. It's not too bad having someone around to talk to." he smiled and looked at his feet. "I mean. as much of a handful as you are…" he flipped the sign back to open and acknowledged the group of people outside the shop with a simple nod. "Don't be a stranger okay?"_

"_You got it. I'll come by again if this place isn't closed by midweek." he laughed yet again and shooed her out the door. The door closed behind her and she looked to her left and saw Chris and the girls walking up the strip peering into every shop they passed. Chris finally spotted her and ran ahead to greet her. He kissed her on the cheek, even as she slowly pulled away and grabbed his hand. The girls finally caught up and the conversation began. _

_Summer looked behind her inside the shop, as the group slowly began to begin walking down the strip. She watched as Seth's legs moved their way back on top of the counter and his arms tucked neatly behind his head as he reclined on the chair, until finally his eyes shut._

_She smiled to herself and shook her head, unconsciously giving Chris' hand a squeeze, in which he returned as well and smiled at her. The group continued down the strip, bantering about what was in store for them this coming week._


End file.
